Rex says
Money math without the spreadsheet headache. Plug in your numbers and I'll show you exactly where the dollars land.
Try a scenario
Click to load — tweak from there.Inputs
Result
Net revenue — direct booking
$386.99
Net revenue — OTA booking
$363.47
Direct booking advantage
$23.53
Advantage as % of OTA net
6.5%
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One click, a permanent link with your numbers baked in.
How to use this
- 1Enter booking rate (per stay) ($).
- 2Enter ota commission (%).
- 3Enter ota payment processing fee (%).
- 4Enter direct-booking discount offered (%).
- 5Enter direct payment processing fee (%).
- 6Enter marketing cost per direct booking ($).
- 7Read your net revenue — direct booking on the right — it updates as you type.
- 8Hit Share to keep the scenario or send it to someone.
About this calculator
Online travel agencies (Expedia, Booking.com) typically charge 15-25% commission on the gross booking rate, which means a $200 OTA booking might net the property only $155-$170 after commission, before any other cost. A direct booking at the same rate keeps the full amount minus a much smaller payment processing fee and marketing cost per booking. This calculator compares net revenue per stay across both channels and shows the effective 'discount' you're giving up by relying on OTA distribution, plus what direct-booking incentive (rate reduction or loyalty discount) you could offer and still come out ahead versus paying full OTA commission.
Worked example
Using the values the calculator loads with:
Inputs
- Booking rate (per stay): 450 $
- OTA commission: 18 %
- OTA payment processing fee: 1.5 %
- Direct-booking discount offered: 8 %
- Direct payment processing fee: 2.9 %
- Marketing cost per direct booking: 15 $
Results
- Net revenue — direct booking: $386.99
- Net revenue — OTA booking: $363.47
- Direct booking advantage: $23.53
- Advantage as % of OTA net: 6.5%
What each field means
Inputs
- Booking rate (per stay) ($)
- The booking rate (per stay) used in the calculation, measured in $. Starts at 450 $ so you have a working example on load.
- OTA commission (%)
- The ota commission used in the calculation, measured in %. Starts at 18 % so you have a working example on load. Accepted range: 0–40 %.
- OTA payment processing fee (%)
- The ota payment processing fee used in the calculation, measured in %. Starts at 1.5 % so you have a working example on load. Accepted range: 0–10 %.
- Direct-booking discount offered (%)
- The direct-booking discount offered used in the calculation, measured in %. Starts at 8 % so you have a working example on load. Accepted range: 0–30 %.
- Direct payment processing fee (%)
- The direct payment processing fee used in the calculation, measured in %. Starts at 2.9 % so you have a working example on load. Accepted range: 0–10 %.
- Marketing cost per direct booking ($)
- The marketing cost per direct booking used in the calculation, measured in $. Starts at 15 $ so you have a working example on load.
Results
- Net revenue — direct booking
- Returned as a money amount in US dollars and shown as the headline result. It recalculates instantly whenever you change an input, so you can compare scenarios without reloading.
- Net revenue — OTA booking
- Returned as a money amount in US dollars. It recalculates instantly whenever you change an input, so you can compare scenarios without reloading.
- Direct booking advantage
- Returned as a money amount in US dollars. It recalculates instantly whenever you change an input, so you can compare scenarios without reloading.
- Advantage as % of OTA net
- Returned as a percentage. It recalculates instantly whenever you change an input, so you can compare scenarios without reloading.
FAQ
What's a typical OTA commission rate?
Expedia and Booking.com typically charge 15-20% for standalone hotels, though rates can run higher (20-25%) for smaller independent properties without volume leverage, and lower (10-15%) for large chains with negotiated master agreements.
How much discount can I offer for direct bookings and still win?
As a rule of thumb, you can discount roughly half the OTA commission rate and still net more than the OTA channel, because you're also avoiding the OTA's own processing fee and any secondary commission on ancillary spend. An 18% OTA commission often supports an 8-10% 'book direct' discount profitably.
Does direct booking really cost nothing beyond processing fees?
No — factor in your booking engine subscription, website maintenance, metasearch (Google Hotel Ads, Trivago) cost-per-click, and email/loyalty program costs. Blended, most hotels see direct acquisition cost land between $8 and $25 per booking depending on brand strength and repeat-guest mix.
Should I ever accept OTA bookings if direct is more profitable?
Yes — OTAs bring incremental demand you likely wouldn't reach otherwise, especially for new-to-brand guests and international travelers. The right strategy isn't eliminating OTA volume, it's converting repeat guests to direct channels and using OTAs primarily for acquisition and shoulder-period fill.
Accuracy and limitations
- Results are estimates before tax, fees, and inflation unless an input explicitly covers them.
- Rates are treated as fixed for the whole period — variable-rate products will drift from this projection.
- This is educational maths, not financial advice. Check anything contractual with the lender or your accountant.
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Cite this calculator
Writing about this topic? Grab a citation — every link helps keep these tools free.
RevenueLab. (2026). OTA Commission vs Direct Booking Calculator. Retrieved from https://www.revenuelab.fyi/toolbox/ota-commission-vs-direct-booking
<p>Source: <a href="https://www.revenuelab.fyi/toolbox/ota-commission-vs-direct-booking" target="_blank" rel="noopener">OTA Commission vs Direct Booking Calculator — RevenueLab</a> (2026).</p>
Source: [OTA Commission vs Direct Booking Calculator — RevenueLab](https://www.revenuelab.fyi/toolbox/ota-commission-vs-direct-booking) (2026).